The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-16
THE GLASS LOCKOUT
Views OF BOTH SIDES UPON IN,

VIEWS OF BOTH SIDES UPON III,
From which It Is Evident that there will BIO
a Stubborn Contest-ri,o Manufacturers
will Give tho nIon Thirty days &.
Notice and then all Shut Down.
The aituatlon Of AFFAIR." in the flint glass
factories Of the country Ia little under.
etood BY tho public, and apparently the
parties interested have no desire that It
should be better understood. Both the
manufacturers and workmen when in.
quired Of concerning the rumored pros.
pecta Of a shutdown In the factories are
as dumb 40 oys.ors. It may be interesting
at this time to briefly review tho course Of
events in this connection. The last ma.
tionsl convention OF tho American Flint
Glass Workera' Union adopted q scale Of
wages which provided, among other
changes, for IN increase in the pay OF
gathering boys. The factories OF the
country al! pay on n system except the
two in this city and the Dalxsll works at
Wellsburg. These three houses met the
demand frat, and concluded to grant It.
The other western factories refused, and
the Union gave notice that II at the end
Of thirty days tho increase was not allow.
ed, a strike would be ordered. Then the
eastern manufacturers met and resolved
that II the western factories wore forced
10 suspend operations on thie issue, the
eastern houses would likewise ehut down
till the strike was settled. The workmen
then, before the expiration OF the thirty
days, Withdrew the notice Of q strike and
the gatherers' wsgeB remain as befoye.ss
THE NEW PHASE.
This seomed to the public to be conclu.
sive Of the whole matter, but this belief
soemn to be premature. There were a
number OF minor changeu made at the
Atlantic City convention to which the
manufacturers take exception. One Of
these Is In tho pay for engraving. Before,
engraverB wore paid ten centa 8 dozen, for
instance. for cutting q fern band around a
water glaea. Under tho new scale, any
change Of this design must DO paid for al
the rate OF eighteen cent? o dozen. This
is n OF tho several minor ms!tcm which
the manufacturers did not accept with
good grace.
The meeting at the Mcclure house, lcst
Monday week, Of Pittsburgh, Ohio and
Wheeling glass manufacturers, was with
a Wow to drawing up a now scale to be
submitted to tho workmep ;'or rather q
new order OF affairs. What progress was
made nobody knows but those who we're
present, bnt the wotkmen arc pretty well
advised go to the Significance OF tho gath.
ering, and know what will probably fol.
low. The manufacturor1 arc understood
to be practicallya unit, and their demand
will bs not 80 much a new scale 90 q au1.
render OF q part OF tho powers heretofore
exercised by, tho workmen'a union. They
all say they do not object TO tho Union,
but rather prefer to deal with It when
such reasonable men as President Smith
are in But they claim that by
insidious steps the Union hes uaurpel
many Of the prsrogativss Of the employers,
and thesa they will assert their right to
exercise in tho future.
TIE MANUFAcruRERs' COURSE.
From wha. can be seen by an outsider
1t is evident that the preparation OF the
manufacturer "manifesto" is in the
handle OF a committee, and that when this
committee haa finished it's work, this mani
festo will be presented to the working
men with the information that II it 10 not
sgreed to by the Executive Committee OF
the national organization within thirty
days, tho factorien, Eaat and West, vii lall
BIO ehut down unit. such time cs ths terms
offered by tho manufacturer are agreed
to. Enoughis known to make,the predic.
ton absolutely safe that this courae will
be pursued; and 1t is also known, though
tho Rourcs of Information il indirect, that
leading members of the manuiscturers'
committee do not expect the workmon 10
sccep! tho tsrms offered without strug.
gle. They will regard tho issue SIS a mat.
tor of principle more Objectionable than a
reduction Of wages, snd will never sur.
render until every, resource is exhausted.
A prominent manufacturer OF another
city is quoted as saying recently that
there would bel long and stubborn lock.
out. With this idea In view, the manu-.
facturers' committee has been urged to
hasten Its work so that the demands NAV
be presented to the Union not later than
December J., that II o lockout is to comeit
may begin with the first Of the year.
THE CONDITION OF AFFAIRS.
1t is claimed on behalf OF the manufac-
turers thst every flint glass factory in the
United States except possibly four small
and new concerns, namely, tho ones at
Findlsy and Canton, O., the one now
building at fostoris, O., and the co.opeya.
tive factory az Beaver Falla, Pa, will sus.
pend operations If q lockout Is ordered,
and that the manufacturers national asso.
citation will 60 in to win. It is evident
that the manufacturers took the resciud-
ing of tho notice Of a strike 80 promptly
upon the action OF the eastern manufac.
turers in resolving to shut down, ss, a CON
fession OF weakness. They gay tho work.
men have now less than $40. 900 in their
treasury, which would melt like nnoyi in
July in case ifa general strike or lockout
and the payment of bencits to the idle
men, and that when the notice of a strike
Was given there vas only ebout ST., 900 in
the treasury. Even If the four factoriss
named continue to run, they argue. the
small number Of workmen they employ
could not contribute much to the support
Of the army Of idle men in the other fac
tories. The manufacturers believe, also,
that the workmen merely Withdrew the
notice Of q strike temporarily. intending
to renew 1t at time when they were
stronger and the conditions Of trade lesa
favorable for a suspension OF work. They
will therefore force the fighting now,
THE woRKMRN's SIDE.
An intelligent glass worker was asked
yesterday what he thought of the situa.
ton. He was at first averae to talking,
but gradually warmed up and said thHe,
National Union was notin such a bad way
as the employers would make them ont.
III there is a lockout said he, "thero
will be not Ices than seven factories in 90.
Grafton. We have an option on the lease
Of three good factories, and if we are
locked out we will 60 to work in these fac.
l tnriou m thu pO.ppnroki1,o -In- :